Dec 10, 2015 | Blog
Legacy systems are increasingly becoming an issue for both IT and IM specialists alike, with one survey of US Federal departments indicating that 92% of agencie
s believe that their legacy applications must be modernised[1]. A survey of Australian and New Zealand agencies conducted by IDM showed that some legacy systems that could be decommissioned are kept turned on as their complex, bespoke nature makes migration expensive or simply too daunting to undertake[2]. Often these systems have evolved over time creating multi-layered applications which makes migration even more complex. They are frequently core business systems where lengthy offline periods may cost the agency greatly in both productivity and reputation.
Doing nothing is not an option, as the problems will intensify. Legacy systems carry risks, including:
- Security breaches
- Performance issues
- Increased downtime/service disruptions
- Increased errors or unexpected behaviours
- Increased costs
- Inaccessibility
There are a number of ways to preserve valuable data:
- Maintain –lighten the data so that unused or low value fields, logs and duplication are removed, leaving only the valuable data behind.
- Modernise – improve the infrastructure and any redundant or ambiguous code while keeping the structure of the database intact.
These approaches may initially provide greater productivity, security and stability; however the application can only be sustained for so long. The long term solution is to migrate the data into an archiving system which will allow the information to be meaningfully interrogated, but will allow the originating application to be decommissioned.
Systematic data archiving needs planning, but brings long term benefits. It ensures that data is accessible. We attended a recent IDM presentation to learn about EMC’s data archiving solution. EMC stated that return on investment can be achieved in six months’ time, on average. While the technology is emerging to resolve legacy data issues, the IM issues remain to be considered:
- How long does the data need to be retained?
- What security will need to be placed on the data?
- Who manages access?
- What relationships between data fields need to be maintained to make the data meaningful?
- How will the data be audited to ensure that it’s integrity cannot be questioned in case of subpoenas, discovery, FoI or GIPA
Thanks to the sponsors for the lunch and learn session.
Contact us at Recordkeeping Innovation for advice on managing legacy systems, to assess retention requirements and develop a migration plan to ensure information is protected for as long as it’s needed. IM is the key to making sound data preservation decisions.
“Windows1.0” by Screenshot taken and uploaded by Remember the dot (talk · contribs). Via Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Windows1.0.png#/media/File:Windows1.0.png
[1] From MeriTalk – “Future Ready Applications: The Modern Legacy”
[2] From IDM – “IDM Information Archiving Survey”
Dec 4, 2015 | Blog
About 5 years ago I wrote a piece that was surprisingly popular and useful. That listed all the local and international standards available to help the records community. But now, that original piece is out of date, so a bit of effort this afternoon has gone into compiling an up to date list. Hope its helpful!
| |
ISO |
Australian Standards |
| Management level |
ISO 30300ISO 30301ISO 30302 |
AdoptedISO 30302 (implementation in progess) |
| Records Management – General |
ISO 15489-1 (under review – due 2016)ISO 15489-2(New part 2: Appraisal Guidance
System implementation Guidance under development) |
Adopted |
| Recordkeeping for Small Business and Organisations |
|
AS/NZS HB116 Recordkeeping for Small Business and Organisations (in progress) |
| Analysis Techniques |
ISO TR 26122 |
Adopted |
| Risk Assessment for Records |
ISO TR 18128 |
Adopted |
| Compliance |
|
HB 278 |
| Capture |
|
AS/NZS 5153 Document Control (in progress) |
| Classification |
|
HB 8317 |
| Digitisation |
ISO TR 13028 |
Adopted |
| Long term electronic storage and access |
ISO TR 18492ISO TR 15801ISO 14721 |
Adopted |
| Recordkeeping metadata |
ISO 23081-1 (Principles)ISO 23081-2 (Conceptual and implementation)ISO 23081-3
|
AdoptedAS 5478 Metadata Reference Set |
| Discovery metadata |
ISO 15836 |
AS 5044-1AS 5044-2 |
| Physical storage |
|
AS 1015 |
| Conversion and migration |
ISO TR 13008 |
Adopted |
| Software specifications |
ISO 16175-1ISO 16175-2ISO 16175-3 (in progress) |
Adopted |
| Micrographics/imaging standards |
See separate list |
|
| Format specifications – PDF |
ISO 19005.1 |
Adopted |
What the numbers mean:
| International Standards (in numerical order) |
| ISO 12029:2014 |
Electronic Imaging – Forms Design optimization for electronic image management |
| ISO 14721:2003 |
Open Archival Information Systems |
| ISO 15489-1:2001 |
Records Management, Part 1: General (adopted as an Australian Standard in 2002) |
| ISO 15489-2:2001 |
Records Management, Part 2: Guidelines (adopted as an Australian Standard in 2002) |
| ISO 15836:2003 |
The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set |
| ISO 16175-1 |
Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments. Part 1:Overview and Statement of Principles |
| ISO 16175-2 |
Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments. Part 2:Guidelines and functional requirements for digital records management systems |
| ISO 16175-3 |
Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments. Part 3: Guidelines and Functional Requirements for Records in Business Systems |
| ISO 18128:2015 |
Risk Assessment for records processes and systems |
| ISO 19005-1:2006 |
PDF A |
|
|
| ISO 23081-1:2008 |
Metadata for Records, Part 1: Principles (adopted as an Australian Standard in 2009) |
| ISO 23081-2:2008 |
Metadata for Records, Part 2: Conceptual and Implementation issues (adopted as an Australian Standard in 2009) |
| ISO 23081-3:2012 |
Metadata for Records, Part 3: Self Assessment method |
| ISO 24537:2007 |
Micrographics – Dimensions for reels used for 16mm and 35mm microfilm |
| ISO 30300 |
Management System for Records – Fundamentals and Vocabulary |
| ISO 30301 |
Management System for Records – Requirements |
| ISO 30302 |
Management Systems for Records – |
|
|
| International Standards: Technical Reports (in numeric order) |
| ISO TR 13008 |
Digital Records Conversion and Migration Processes |
| ISO TR 13028:2010 |
Implementation Guidelines for Digitisation for Records |
| ISO TR 15801:2007 |
Electronic Imaging – Information Stored Electronically – Recommendations for Trustworthiness and Reliability |
| ISO TR 18592:2005 |
Long Term Preservation of Electronic Document-based Information |
| ISO TR 26122:2008 |
Work Process Analysis for Records |
| Australian Standards in addition to those above (in numeric order) |
| AS/NZ 5044-1:2010 |
AGLS Part 1: Reference Description |
| AS/NZ 5044-2:2010 |
AGLS Part 2: Usage Guide |
| AS/NZ 1015 |
Records Management: Physical Storage |
| AS/NZ 5478:2105 |
Recordkeeping metadata property reference set (RMPRS) |
| Australian Standards: Handbooks |
| HB 278:2009 |
Recordkeeping Compliance |
| HB 5031:2011 |
Records Classification |
Micrographics Standards adopted in Australia
The Australian Standards Committee IT 21 is also responsible for the management of a suite of standards relevant to micrographics. These remain relevant to specific industries that still work with microfilm. These are the current ones showing those that are in the process of revision.
| AS 1998-1977 |
A6 microfiche for engineering and other data (excluding computer output microfiche) |
| MP 25-2002 |
Basic guide to microfilming |
| HB 181-2003 ISO/TR 12031 |
Micrographics – Inspection of silver-gelatin microforms for evidence of deterioration |
| HB 180-2003 ISO/TR 12036 |
Micrographics – Expungement, deletion, correction or amendment of records on microforms |
| HB 179-2003 ISO/TR 12037 |
Electronic imaging – Recommendations for the expungement of information recorded on write-once optical media |
| HB 178-2003 ISO/TR 12654 |
Electronic imaging – Recommendations for the management of electronic recording systems for the recording of documents that may be required as evidence, on WORM optical disk |
| AS 2840-1986 |
Microfilming newspapers for archival purposes |
| AS 1203.1-1996 |
Microfilming of engineering documents – Operating procedures (being revised) |
| AS 1203.2-1996 |
Microfilming of engineering documents – Quality criteria and control |
| AS 1203.3-1996 |
Microfilming of engineering documents – Unitized 35 mm microfilm carriers (being revised) |
| AS 1203.4-1996 |
Microfilming of engineering documents – Microfilming of drawings of special and exceptional elongated sizes |
| AS 3674-1989 |
Storage of microfilm |
| AS 1717-1975 |
Unitized microfilm carriers |
| AS/NZS 4579-1999 Micrographics |
Reader-printers for transparent microforms – Characteristics |
| AS/NZS 4578-1999 Micrographics |
Readers for transparent microforms – Measurement of characteristics |
| AS/NZS 4577-1999 Micrographics |
Readers for transparent microforms – Performance characteristics |
| AS/NZS 4589-1999 |
Micrographics – Microfilming of documents on 16 mm and 35 mm silver-gelatin type microfilm – Operating procedures (being revised) |
| HB 177-2003 ISO/TR 14105 |
Electronic imaging – Human and organizational for successful Electronic Image Management (EIM) implementation (being revised) |
| ATS 5083-2003 ISO/TS 12033 |
Electronic imaging – Guidance for selection of document image compression methods (being revised) |
Dec 4, 2015 | Blog
Last night I was lucky enough to go to a pre-release screening of Spotlight courtesy of the St James Ethics Centre. A Hollywood movie with top actors (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci et al), this movie is the story of the 2001 investigative journalism probe from Boston Globe’s Spotlight team. The investigation led to the uncovering of the pattern of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests. It’s about the system, rather than the individuals. And one of the many observations is that it takes outsiders to crack a system.
Image: http://www.public-domain-image.com/free-images/wallpapers/pin-spot-spotlight-against-dark-background/attachment/pin-spot-spotlight-against-dark-background
It’s a corker of a movie. If you want the ‘All The President’s Men’ of this decade, this film is it. But, a light ride it is not. I’ve been working in and around the records and archives issues relating to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse for a while now, so the film had particular relevance to what I was thinking about. In fact, I’ve been more exposed to the tales of victims and survivors than many, and I found this quite gruelling.
From recordkeeping perspective, as always, the plot is driven by the uncovering of documents and proof of events. So it’s a cracking recordkeeping story. A sub theme is recordkeeping as a component of life that is always there, but not vitally critical until something goes wrong. Once something goes wrong, or is suspicious, then records take a major boost in importance. This film underscores this point. Many of the records and documents discussed involved the legal system, where process and the American system of what is public and what is suppressed is featured.
There are lots of great shots of archives – institutional and personal – as stories are uncovered and pieced together with forensic care. Set in 2001, the movie shows lots of paper based recordkeeping – shots of card-exes, microfilm, rows of archives boxes, trolleys with files, stacked paper and files everywhere – heaps of good archival stuff.
But this film did me in – I found it very hard to watch, so lots of squirming in my seat, which seems only fitting. The stories of all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse are compelling and need to be heard. This film highlights the problems of getting their voices heard. This film does a cracking job of revealing this, the damage done, the way people lean on other people to shore up the status quo, and the ability to look back and say ‘why didn’t we know and do something earlier’.
Recommended viewing from any number of perspectives.
The movie trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56jw6tasomc
